“我曾耐性等候耶和华。”(诗40:1)
你知道吗?等候比前进困难得多。等候需要忍耐,忍耐是一件难得的美德。神在他子民的四周都在建筑篱笆保护他们。当篱笆越筑越高,甚至连顶也看不见的时候,我们就要发急——极欲知道以后有没有机会能从这个幽闭的势力范围里出去,我们不能明白为什么我们不能有一个较大的环境。但是神在他一切工作上都是有目的的。“义人的脚步,被耶和华立定。。”(诗三十七:23)。
在莫勒的圣经上这一节经文旁边注着,“义人的止步也被耶和华立定。”但是我们却常常喜欢穿出神为我们所建筑的篱笆外去,这实在是一个极大的错误。一个基督徒如果已经确实知道是神将他放在他的地位上的,他千万不可以轻易活动;直到云柱移动了,他才可以移动;这是极重要的。——译自主日学报
什么时候我们学会了每件事情等待神的引导,什么时候我们就会知道只有在安静中,我们的灵力才会达到最高点。我们中间有许多人缺乏这种安静的力量。但是如果神指定我们去作一件工作,他必定会给我们够用的力量。耐性等候,遵行神的引导——这是得能力的秘诀。神旨意之外的,都是浪费。让我们等候神的引导罢。——戈登
在神的引导没有来到之先,我们实行不动,坐看良机错失,结果岂不是一个极大的失败吗?不;胜利就是在不动中,静候中得到的。这要比活动艰难千倍。这个需要更大的勇气去站住,等候,不丧胆,不绝望;绝对顺从神的旨意;将工作和荣誉让给他人;别人都快快活活,忙忙碌碌在工作,自己却能安安静静,带着信心而欢乐。这才是最伟大的生活——“成就了一切,还能站立得住。”(弗6:13)。——密勒
"I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."(Acts 27:25.)
I WENT to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, "Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon. "It is impossible," I said. "Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray."
I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this. "Mr. Mueller," I said, "do you know how dense this fog is?" "No," he replied, "my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life."
He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it."
I looked at him, and he said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the king. Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone." I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement. --- Selected.
"If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine,
In the sweetness of our Lord."